Lacing hook



F. A.v HERRICK Dec. 15, 1925' LACING HOOK Filed July 18, 1924 m M M,

awe-z na Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES FRANK A. HERRICK, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

LACING HOOK.

Application filed July 18,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, FRANK A. HERRIcK, a resident of Toledo, in thecounty of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Lacing Hook, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to shoe lacing hooks, and has for its object the provision of a new form of hook of this character, which is simple and strong in its construction, capable of being easily and securely attached to a shoe, and adapted to permit a lace to be easily and quickly engaged therewith or released therefrom, and which also eliminates all points or projections liable to catch on the skirts of women or trousers of men wearing shoes equipped with the hooks.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and one embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe equipped with my new hook. Fig. 2 1s a centralsection through the hook embodying the invention and through a member to which attached with the securing spurs thereof in open position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the hook engaged to a carrying member, the latter being in section. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the hook with the spurs thereof projected through a carrying member and in open position. Fig. 5 1s a fragmentary view of the upper front portion of a shoe equipped with the invention, and with laces engaged therewith. Fig. 6 is a. section of the hook taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a front perspective view of the hook.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a shoe top, 2 one-piece lacing hooks attached thereto, and 3 laces in engagement with the hooks.

Each hook 2 comprises a fiat body plate or portion 4 adapted to seat fiat against the shoe top or other member to which it is to be attached and having, at what may be termed its front edge, an integral spur or brad 5 and at its opposite edge 2 integral laterally spaced spurs or brads 6. These spurs or brads project at right angles from the seating side of the body plate 2 and are intended to pierce or be forced through the member 1 and to be bent or clinched to ward each other at the inner side of said member, the relation of the spurs after 1924. Serial No. 726,653.

clinching preferably being such that the spur 5 is disposed between the spurs 6.

The lacing tongue 7 of the hook projects integrally from the opposite edge of the body plate 2 to the spur 5 and curls upwardly, forwardly and downwardly over the plate 4, in a plane which intersects said plate at substantially a right angle, and terminates at its free end in a reentrant portion 8, which extends rearwardly into the loop formed by the tongue in slightly spaced relation to the forward edge portion of the plate 4 and also in spaced relation to the rear upwardly extending shank portion of the tongue, thereby forming one wall of the entrance opening to the tongue loop and also forming a supporting hook for a lace. The forming of the tongue in this manner with its free end inturned and in spaced relation both to the plate 4 and rear upwardly extending portion of the tongue enables a lace to be passed rearwardly into the loop formed by the tongue between the plate 4 and reentrant portion 8 of the tongue, and then, upon a slight raising and forward movement of the lace, causing it to engage within the free hooked end of the tongue. To facilitate such engagement of the lace with the hooked tongue, the hook is attached to the shoe or other member with its free end projecting substantially in the direction of pulling engagement of the lace thereon, or, in other words, the opening of the lacing hook, through which the'lace is inserted in placing it in engagement with the hook, is disposed at the same side of the hook as that against which the lace draws when in laced position. This avoids the projecting hook ends which are present in the lacing hooks commonly used and which are objectionable for the reason that they catch on skirts and trousers of the wearers and tear the same.

The tongue 7, for the purpose of strength and to avoid sharp edges in engagement with a lace, is preferably of outwardly curved form in cross-section.

In practice, in lacing ashoe equipped with my hooks, the laces are drawn outward into engagement with the hooks instead of inward, as is the case with hooks commonly used, and after being inserted into the loop opening formed by the hooked tongue the laces are drawn inward to engage the free end portion of the tongue over the reentrant portion 8 thereof, the engaging movement of a lace with a tongue being accomplished with an inward, upward and forward rotary movement. To release a lace from a hook, the lace is swung inward from the hooked end portion of the tongue and then downward and forward through the opening between the tongue end and body plate, it being found in practice that both the lacing and unlacing movements can be as easily and quickly accomplished as is the case with the types of hooks commonly employed.

1 wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts as it is capable of malicious changes and modifications without departing from the spirit oi the claims.

Having thus described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A lacing hook having a body plate, securing spurs projecting from the front and rear edges of the plate with the rear spurs laterally spaced and adapted to lap the en gaged material at opposite sides of the front spur, a lace engaging tongue projecting from the rear edge of the plate between the spurs at such edge and forming a loop over. the plate with the free end portion of the tongue extendinginto the loop toward the rear edge of the plate and in spaced relation to the plate to form a lace entrance opening and also to form a lace engaging hook at the entrance side of the tongue loop.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

FRANK A. HERRICK. 

